Future of Steel – Ken Clarke & Paul Mason

steel – Jeremy Corbyn

This week’s crisis in Port Talbot and elsewhere has not come out of the blue – Britain’s steel industry has been in trouble for a long time now. Yet the government appears to have been asleep on the job. — Caroline Lucas MP

The ministry that should have an industrial policy is run by a man who, when the space between his ears registers a thought at all, believes there should not be an industrial policy. — Paul Mason

Ken Clarke and Paul Mason on BBC Newsnight discussing the future of steel in the UK.

Ken Clarke knows all about the steel industry, he once drove past the steel works at Port Talbot.

Why does the BBC insist on wheeling out has been politicians who have not got a clue what they are talking about?

Sajid Javid another useless Tory idiot.

We have an old plant in Wales. It cannot compete on the world market with modern steel plants.

If this was a short term problem, then yes, nationalise.

But the problem is we do not know.

A rescue plan was drawn up then rejected.

This should be published.

Steel is an old industry.

It is energy consuming.

It is resource intensive.

We should be moving forward to new industries.

What this illustrates is tha we have to move away from large plants, that if they close, they have a devastating impact on local communities.

If this was several companies, with the same total job losses, no one would act.

We bailed out the banks. That is not an argument for bailing out steel, it is an argument for not bailing out the banks.

Steel generates wealth, it adds value. Banks are parasites that bleed money from businesses. Banks do not create wealth. Making things creates wealth.

Is steel a strategic industry?

US makes steel. US does not have problem with steel from China. Why does UK, why does EU? US introduced tariffs. UK government blocked EU tariffs.